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K-Rod Mulls Legal Action Against Former Agents

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Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez, claiming that his former agents at WMG deceived him, may file a grievance or lawsuit against them, his attorney told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. 

In the final year of his deal with the Mets, the hurler believed that he had a limited no-trade clause in which he could block deals to ten teams, including Milwaukee.  However, a no-trade provision was never filed on his behalf and the closer fired Paul Kinzer and Arn Tellem in favor of Scott Boras.  A few days later, Rodriguez was traded to the Brewers.

"They did something atrocious,'' the attorney said. "Their utter arrogance makes this so evil. It's like rear-ending somebody, but instead of stopping your car and trading insurance information, these guys blew up the car, took off, and ran away.  They committed negligence, and turned it into a fraud case."

Boras later negotiated a $500K payout to eliminate a $17.5MM vesting option in hopes that Rodriguez would still be used as a part-time closer, which never materialized. The Brewers' subsequent use of Rodriguez as a set-up man likely diminished his value on the free agent market entering this season, Nightengale writes.

Johnson said that Rodriguez is upset at the circumstances that led to his trade to Milwaukee, but not with the organization itself.  The attorney also says that If Rodriguez had been aware a no-trade provision was never filed during his career, he would have been much more open to signing an extension with the Mets.  Johnson says that the Wasserman Group promised to pay Rodriguez at least $1MM prior to a mediation session last week but reneged.

Pirates Acquire Burnett From Yankees

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After more than a week of back-and-forth discussion, the Yankees and Pirates formally announced the deal that will send A.J. Burnett to Pittsburgh.  The trade allows the Bombers to unload $13MM of the $33MM still owed to the veteran pitcher over the next two years.  Aside from shedding payroll, the Yanks also receive outfielder Exicardo Cayones and right-hander Diego Moreno in the trade.

With the Burnett deal finalized, the Yankees will now have the flexibility to add a bat or two.  The club is reportedly eyeing Raul Ibanez and would like to bring back Eric Chavez as well.

As Tim Dierkes noted last week, the Pirates were a solid fit for the 35-year-old as the club has struggled to find a frontline starter on the open market.  Burnett held a limited no-trade clause which allowed him to block trades to ten clubs, but it appears that the Bucs were not on that list.

Burnett will take a physical on Sunday and, due to the amount of money changing hands, the trade will be subject to league approval.  The Bucs will pay the right-hander $5MM in 2012 and $8MM in '13 as they look to help him return to his pre-2010 form.

The much-maligned Burnett posted a 4.79 ERA, a 1.99 K/BB ratio and a 1.45 WHIP in three seasons with New York after signing a five-year, $82.5MM contract in the 2008-09 offseason.  He did, however, play a key role in the Yankees' 2009 World Series title and averaged 195 innings per year during his time in the Bronx.  This durability makes the 35-year-old Burnett an attractive quantity to the Pirates, who haven't had a pitcher reach 195 innings since 2009. 

The Pirates have been looking for veteran starting pitching this winter but, after signing Erik Bedard, were turned down by free agents Edwin Jackson and Roy Oswalt.  Burnett will have a guaranteed spot in a Pittsburgh rotation that will also feature Bedard and James McDonald, with Jeff Karstens, Charlie Morton and Kevin Correia all likely battling for the final two spots.

For the Yankees, getting $13MM of Burnett's salary off the books frees up enough payroll space for the team to pursue some depth needs.  We've heard the Yankees are looking at Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez as left-handed bats to fill the part-time DH and backup infield roles, respectively.

The finalization of the deal was first reported by Ken Rosnethal of FOX Sports (Twitter links).  Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (via Twitter) reported Cayones' inclusion in the deal while Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted the news of Moreno heading to New York.  Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) had the breakdown of how the Bucs will pay Burnett. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter) first reported that Burnett passed his physical and the trade was approved by MLB.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Appel, Angels, Uehara, Garland, Oswalt

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On this day in 1982, the Padres traded Ozzie Smith, Steve Mura, and Al Olmsted to the Cardinals for Luis DeLeon, Sixto Lezcano and Garry Templeton.  The trade was sparked by both Smith and Templeton having issues with their respective teams.  Here's a look at today's links..

  • Stanford righty Mark Appel isn't a lock for the No. 1 pick in the draft, writes ESPN's Keith Law (Insider req'd). Appel touched 97mph in the first inning of his first start, but sat 91-95mph for the next six innings and doesn't command his fastball well enough in the zone to miss as many bats as he should, says Law. Law also looks at some Stanford hitters who should go high in the draft and notes some impressive velocity from around the country yesterday.
  • The Angels have hired former big leaguers Gary Varsho and Jeff Cirillo as scouts, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
  • Rangers reliever Koji Uehara wants to get his situation settled and know where he's playing this season, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.  Texas has been talking with clubs about a possible deal, including the Athletics.
  • The Indians are still working through details in their talks with Jon Garland, tweets Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.  The pitcher was originally set to undergo a physical on Monday but that now seems unlikely.
  • When asked about adding Roy Oswalt or anyone else, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told reporters, "We're always open for business here," tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
  • Dusty Baker only has one year remaining on his contract, but the Reds skipper says that he isn't concerned about it, writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
  • Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner told Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter) that he hasn't heard from the team about a long-term contract yet.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) has the contract figures on two minor league signings from earlier this offseason.  Joel Pineiro will earn $1.5MM if he makes the big league roster with the Phillies while Ryan Spilborghs will receive a $1MM base salary if he's in the majors with the Indians.

Week In Review: 2/12/12 – 2/18/12

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Twitter is filled with updates from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training, and Opening Day is less than two months away! Amidst the sea of "best shape of his life" stories, we saw plenty of news here at MLBTR this past week, so let's run it down:

Molina Extension Talks On Hold, Won’t Give Discount

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3:30pm: Rains' full article on the situation is posted at FOXSportsMidwest.com. While there doesn't seem to be a deadline on talks, Molina did say that like most players, he prefers to focus on the game during the season rather than his contract. He also shot down the idea of offering St. Louis a hometown discount:

"I don't know about that,” Molina said. "Like I always say, I like the town and I like the city, but at the same time, I have to think about my family. You have to worry about your family like they worry about the team. This is business. If I get good money, I'll take it. If not, I'll go away.”

2:37pm: Yadier Molina spoke very candidly about his contract situation today, according to B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest, who reports that he and the Cardinals have put extension talks on hold for the time being. Rains notes that Molina said he's still willing to re-open negotiations (Twitter links).

The Cards picked up Molina's $7MM option shortly after their World Series victory, ensuring that the youngest Molina brother would be in St. Louis for at least one more season. MLBTR's Mark Polishuk recently identified Yadi as an extension candidate, concluding that he could fetch a four- or five-year deal with an average annual value in excess of $10MM on the open market.

A fourth round draft pick of St. Louis back in 2000, the Puerto Rico native has spent his entire career with the Cardinals. Molina signed a four-year deal worth $15.5MM prior to the 2008 season. That value has escalated to a total of $22.85MM over five years after his option was exercised and he picked up $350K in bonuses for his four Gold Gloves and three All-Star selections.

The 29-year-old enjoyed a career year last season when he hit .305/.349/.465 (career highs in average and slugging) and also added career highs in homers (14), doubles (32), and RBI (65).

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for details on Molina's contract bonuses.

AL East Notes: Rays, Chavez, Varitek, Red Sox, Burnett

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A look at some news out of the American League East..

  • It would make sense for the Rays to hold on to their surplus of starting pitching as they've needed at least seven starting pitchers in each of the past four seasons, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters that Eric Chavez's return isn't a sure thing, tweets Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
  • Red Sox skipper Bobby Valentine isn't expecting Jason Varitek in camp today, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  The manager added that the front office hasn't asked them to get the catcher's uniform ready, tweets Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.  On Friday, we learned that Varitek is leaning towards retirement.
  • There is some concern over the Red Sox's shortstop position in 2012 but Valentine told reporters that he was on board with the trade that shipped Marco Scutaro to Colorado, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
  • Unloading A.J. Burnett's contract was a move that the Yankees had to make, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • The Burnett deal will likely be officially announced tomorrow, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  Once the deal is official, the Yankees will have the money neccessary to sign another bat such as Raul Ibanez.
  • With an annual average of $2MM in his new three-year deal, Rays skipper Joe Maddon would rank in the middle third based on current contracts, writes Topkin.

Mike Cameron To Retire

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Outfielder Mike Cameron has notified the Nationals that he will retire, according to the team's official Twitter account.  Cameron also drew interest from the Indians this winter before signing a minor league deal with Washington in December.

The 39-year-old was designated for assignment by the Red Sox in June before being dealt to the Marlins.  In total, Cameron hit just .203/.285/.359 in 269 combined plate appearances and saw his season come to an end when he was released by the Marlins for conduct detrimental to the team.

In 17 big league seasons, Cameron hit .249/.338/.444 with 278 home runs for eight different clubs.  According to Baseball Reference, the centerfielder earned more than $76MM over the course of his career.

Cafardo On Soler, Gonzalez, Ibanez, Abreu, Kazmir

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe looks at the Red Sox's shortstop position after the trade of Marco Scutaro.  Major league evaluators are skeptical that Mike Aviles and Nick Punto can get the job done, which could leave the door open to prospect Jose Iglesias getting the nod.  All eyes will be on manager Bobby Valentine to see how he handles the club's shortstop situation this spring.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • Two GMs told Cafardo that Jorge Soler will go for more than the five years and $15MM-$20MM most thought he would settle for.  Some of the clubs who elected to stay away on Yoenis Cespedes because of the hefty price and question marks about his game have decided that Soler is a better value.  The Red Sox are one of about eight teams in on Soler.
  • Mike Gonzalez is likely headed to the Rangers if they can trade Koji Uehara.  The A's have also been connected to the free agent reliever recently.
  • The Yankees prefer Raul Ibanez to Johnny Damon because of cost.  Damon is seeking about $5MM while Ibanez will likely be in the $1.5MM-$2MM range.
  • Angels veteran Bobby Abreu would have gone back to the Yankees in an A.J. Burnett deal.  The Halos have a logjam with Kendry Morales returning and Albert Pujols at first base and Abreu has been offered around.
  • The Red Sox didn’t attend Scott Kazmir’s workout on Friday and have no plans to watch Brandon Webb throw when he is on display.  That's because Boston decided not to delve into the rehab market for pitchers.  The club has tried a number of pitchers coming back from serious injury and in most cases, it hasn't worked out.
  • Cafardo wonders if Cardinals backup Tyler Greene is worth a look for the Red Sox shortstop mix.  The 27-year-old was once a promising prospect and is out of options this year.

Quick Hits: Cain, Garland, Guillen, Flores, Chen

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Spring Training complexes in Florida and Arizona are starting to come alive with baseball activity, but there are meaningful games already being played all across the country. Stanford right-hander Mark Appel – the current favorite to go first overall in this year's draft – allowed just two hits and one run in seven innings against Vanderbilt yesterday, kicking off the NCAA baseball season. Here's the latest from around the big leagues…

  • “We’d all like something resolved by the end of spring training,” said Matt Cain to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com when asked about a contract extension. “I don’t think either side wants that to linger into the season.” Cain has already indicated that he will not give the Giants a hometown discount after already signing one team friendly contract.
  • Jon Garland will take his physical on Monday, reports Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland-Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Garland agreed to a minor league deal with the Indians earlier this week, but the physical is far from routine after shoulder surgery.
  • Carlos Guillen told MLB.com's Greg Johns that he had other opportunities, but chose to return to the Mariners on a minor league contract. "I decided to come here because this is my first house," he said. "I know the city, and I'm happy to be back."
  • Jesus Flores told Amanda Comak of The Washington Times that he hadn't planned on being a backup catcher at this point of his career, but asking the Nationals for a trade is "not on [his] mind." The 27-year-old Flores will backup Wilson Ramos this season.
  • Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen hasn't even thrown a pitch since signing a three-year, sub-$12MM deal with Orioles earlier this offseason, but he's already told Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun that he hopes to stay in MLB for the next ten years (Twitter link).
  • Rod Barajas told MLB.com's Tom Singer that he's excited to be reunited with A.J. Burnett. Barajas and Burnett played together with the Blue Jays before both landing with the Pirates this offseason.

Cubs May Start Extension Talks With Garza Soon

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The Cubs spent most of the winter gauging trade interest in Matt Garza, but now it appears they're willing to discuss a long-term commitment. GM Jed Hoyer spoke to reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of The Chicago Sun Times) upon arriving at the team's Spring Training facility today, and said the two sides could being extension talks soon.

"We focused really hard on getting the one-year number done a few weeks ago," said Hoyer, referring to the one-year, $9.5MM contract the two sides agreed to a few weeks ago, avoiding arbitration. "We didn’t have any kind of long-term discussions before that, but certainly there was some dialogue about possibly having some long-term discussions at some point maybe this spring … I think we probably will sit down and talk."

Garza, 28, can't become a free agent until after the 2013 season. He made at least 30 starts and threw at least 180 innings for the fourth straight year in 2011, pitching to a 3.32 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 during his first season on Chicago's north side. Garza has said he's open to an extension with the Cubs earlier this offseason.

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